Holding the Line: 54 the future and well-being of our Edmonton community

by Danielle Dolgoy

(Edmonton) – Edmonton’s Jewish Family Services has long been the quiet safety net beneath our community, a warm place, a shelter in the storm. Today, that shelter needs you.

The world feels more uncertain than it has in years. This uncertainty is magnified in our Jewish community as feelings of instability and unsafety take hold across our city and around the world. It feels particularly vulnerable to be Jewish now, in a way that troubles the soul and amplifies all the other challenges people face.  This fear is real and valid, and not within our control. But what we can control is how we respond, how we show up with compassion, generosity, and a commitment to one another.

This year, we are inviting you to do exactly that through our 54 the Future campaign.

In Jewish tradition, 18 represents chai, life. A gift of $54 is triple chai, a powerful symbol of sustaining life across generations. It honours where we have come from, supports the realities we face today, and helps ensure a strong, compassionate future.

It is a simple, meaningful act with lasting impact.

For many of us, $54 a month is manageable. But for many of the individuals and families who turn to Jewish Family Services Edmonton, that same amount represents real hardship. That contrast is exactly why this campaign matters.

Because $54 doesn’t just add up. It shows up.

It means counselling for a newly widowed individual navigating grief and loss of purpose.
It means a kosher food hamper for a family struggling to celebrate Passover.
It means a homebound elder is not alone on Shabbat.

Monthly giving, at any amount, is one of the most powerful ways to sustain this work. It creates a steady, predictable foundation that allows the community to respond with care, consistency, and dignity.

And right now, that foundation is under strain.

Without sustained community support, JFSE cannot guarantee the programs that our most vulnerable neighbours depend on. The gap between need and capacity is growing. We cannot afford to let it widen.

This is not abstract. It is here, in Edmonton.

Ours is a small and deeply connected community. We feel one another’s challenges, and we celebrate one another’s resilience. That closeness carries with it a responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind, and that those who need support can access it with dignity.

Our tradition calls us to this work. Reflecting on the words of the Haggadah we all read last month, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.” It is a statement of openness, of care, and of shared responsibility. It reminds us that a strong community is not measured only by its successes, but by how it supports those who are struggling.

Last year, through our DigniTEA gatherings, we saw what that responsibility looks like in action. In living rooms across the city, people came together to listen, to learn, and to care. Together, we increased donations tenfold, reconnected with long-time supporters, and welcomed new ones into our circle.

That momentum showed what is possible.

Now, we need to carry it forward.

If you can give, at whatever level is manageable for you, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

Here’s how you can help:

• Go to jfse.org/donate and set up your monthly gift. It takes less than two minutes
• Choose $54 or any amount that reflects your capacity
• Share this campaign with others who care about building a compassionate community

Our values, tikun olam, chesed, tzedek, and kavod, call on us to act with generosity and purpose. They ask us to build a community where care is not reserved for a few but extended to all who need it.

Jewish Family Services Edmonton is one of the ways you and I live those values every day.

A pledge of $54 the Future is more than a donation. It is a way to ensure that support remains available, that dignity is preserved, and that our community continues to be a place where people can turn in times of need.

In uncertain times, the most powerful thing we can do is show up for one another with generosity and care.

Help us hold the line and ensure that all who need support can find it.

Danielle Dolgoy is the Executive Director of Jewish Family Services Edmonton.